592 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 190. 



But what are we to say to the actual fact of the 

 same legend being found in the valleys of Afghan- 

 istan ? 



Masson, in his Narrative, &c. (ili. 297.), when 

 speaking of the Tajiks of Liighman, says, — 



" They have the following amusing story : In times 

 of yore, ere the natives were acquainted with the arts 

 of husbandry, the Shaitan, or Devil, appeared amongst 

 them, and, winning their confidence, recommended 

 them to sovv their lands. They consented, it being 

 farther agreed that the Devil was to be a sherik, or 

 partner, with them. The lands were accordingly sown 

 with turnips, carrots, beet, onions, and such vegetables 

 whose value consists in the roots. When the crops 

 were mature the Shaitan appeared, and generously 

 asked the assembled agriculturists if they would re- 

 ceive for their share what was above ground or what 

 was below. Admiring the vivid green hue of the tops, 

 they unanimously replied that they would accept what 

 was above ground. They were directed to remove 

 their portion, when the Devil and his attendants dug 

 up the roots and carried them away. The next year 

 he again came and entered into partnership. The lands 

 were now sown with wheat and other grains, whose 

 value lies in their seed-spikes. In due time, as the 

 crops had ripened, he convened the husbandmen, put- 

 ting the same question to them as he did tlie preceding 

 year. Resolved not to be deceived as l)efore, they chose 

 for their share what was below ground ; on which the 

 Devil immediately set to work and collected the harvest, 

 leaving them to dig up the worthless roots. Having 

 experienced that they were not a match for the Devil, 

 they grew weary of his friendsliip ; and it fortunately 

 turned out that, on departing with his wheat, he took 

 the road from Liighman to Barikab, which is pro- 

 verbially intricate, and where he lost his road, and has 

 never been heard of or seen since." 



Surely here is simple coincidence, for there 

 could scarcely ever have been any communication 

 between such distant regions in remote times, and 

 the legend has hardly been carried to Afghanistan 

 by Europeans. There is, as will be observed, a 

 difference in the character of the legends. In the 

 Oriental one it is the Devil who outwits the pea- 

 sants. This perhaps arises from the higher cha- 

 racter of the Shaitan (the ancient Akriman) than 

 that of the Troll or the mediasval Devil. 



ThOS. KpiGHTLEY. 



SHAKSPEAKE KEADINGS, NO. VIH. 



I have to announce the detection of an important 

 misprint, which completely restores sense, point, 

 and antithesis to a sorely tormented passage in 

 King Lear; and which proves at the same time 

 that the corrector of Mk. Colliek's folio, in this 

 instance at least, is undeniably in error. Here, as 

 elsewhere (whether by anticipation or imitation I 

 shall not take upon me to decide), he has fallen 

 into just the same mistake as the rest of the com- 

 pientators: indeed it is startling to observe how 



regularly he suspects every passage that they have 

 suspected, and how invariably he treats them in 

 the same spirit of emendation (some places of 

 course excepted, where his courage soars far be- 

 yond theirs ; such as the memorable " curds and 

 cream," " on a table of green frieze," &c.). 



I say that the error of " the old corrector," in 

 this instance, is undeniable, because the misprint I 

 am about to expose, like the egg-problen\ of Co- 

 lumbus, when once shown, demonstrates itself: so 

 that any attempt to support It by argument would 

 be absurd, because superfluous. 



There are two verbs, one in every-day use, the 

 other obsolete, which, although of nearly oppo- 

 site significations, and of very dissimilar sound, 

 nevertheless differ only in the mutual exchange of 

 place in two letters : these verbs are secure and 

 recuse ; the first implying assurance, the second! 

 want of assurance, or refusal. Hence any sentence 

 would receive an opposite meaning from one of 

 these verbs to what it would from the other. 



Let us now refer to the opening scene of the 

 Fourth Act of King Lear, where the old man 

 offers his services to Gloster, who has been de- 

 prived of his eyes : 



" Old Man. You cannot see your way. 



Gloster. I have no way, and therefore want no eyes; 

 I stumbled when I saw; full oft 'tis seen 

 Our means secure us, and our mere defects 

 Prove our commodities." 



Here one would suppose that the obvious oppo- 

 sition between means and defects would have pre- 

 served these words from being tampered with ; 

 and that, on the other hand, the absence of oppo- 

 sition between secure and commodious would have 

 directed attention to the real error. But, no : all 

 the worretting has been about means ; and this un- 

 fortixnate word has been twisted in all manner of 

 ways, until finally " the old corrector " informs us 

 that " the printer read wants ' means,' and hence 

 the blunder ! " 



Now, mark the perfect antithesis the passage 

 receives from the change of secure into recuse : 



" Full oft 'tis seen 

 Our means recuse us, and our mere defects 

 Prove our commodities." 



I trust I may be left In the quiet possession of 

 whatever merit is due to this restoration. Some 

 other of my humble au^ilia have, before now, been 

 coolly appropriated, with the most Innocent air 

 possible, without the slightest acknowledgment. 

 One Instance Is afforded in Mr. Keightley's com- 

 munication to "N. & Q.," Vol. vll., p. 136., where 

 that gentleman not only repeats the explanation I 

 had previously given of the same passage, but even 

 does me the honour of requoting the same line of 

 Shakspeare with which I had supported it. 



I did not think it worth noticing at the time, nor 

 should I now, were it not that Me. Iveightleit's 



